A Lim Kim leads by 3 strokes midway through LPGA season opener, with Nelly Korda 4 back

A Lim Kim made enough birdies in an up-and-down second round to maintain a cushion between herself and top-ranked Nelly Korda on Friday at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, the LGPA Tour season opener.

Kim shot 69 at Lake Nona for a two-day total of 10-under 134, making six birdies and three bogeys after her bogey-free opening round. That was good for a three-shot lead over Linn Grant (67) and four shots better than Korda, who was even par for the tournament through her first 22 holes but shot 6 under from there for a 67.

“There is no better tournament than this tournament to kind of come back,” said Korda, referring to the pro-am format that includes athletes and celebrities. “New season, it’s more easygoing, playing with someone like Kevin Millar and (Derek) Lowe where you’ve known them for so long. This is my sixth year playing this event so friendships have formed.”

Lowe, a former major league pitcher, also helped out when a fan proposed marriage to Korda.

“D Lowe shut him right down,” Korda said. “I didn’t say anything and he was like, ‘Bud, I think that was a no.’ He was like, ‘Did I speak out of turn?’ I was like, ‘No, that was a great answer.’”

Korda is coming off a seven-win season that included her second major championship.

Rio Takeda (68) and Leona Maguire (68) also were four shots back.

Defending champion Lydia Ko, whose four wins in 2024 included an Olympic gold medal and the Women’s British Open at St. Andrews, used a new putter in her opening-round 73. She returned last year’s putter to the bag on Friday, shot 67 and was six shots back.

“Obviously it’s not the putter’s fault. It’s all the puttee’s fault,” Ko said. “It’s just having a difficult round on the greens to come back to something that I’m familiar with and I know that I’ve putted well with, was I think a good change for me.”

Former NHL player Joe Pavelski led the celebrity leaderboard, one point ahead of Mardy Fish. Lowe, Mark Mulder and Jeremy Roenick were two points back.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf